Clare is away again

It has come to my attention that I have again, been neglecting my blog so here is hopefully a fairly accurate account of the last month. So I last blogged in Cuzco just before starting the Inca trail. The morning we left it was raining, which actually was not a bad thing as it meant that we had cooler weather to trek in. The first day was not too strenuous with a few up hill sections and we arrived into camp with our tents set up and a fantastic dinner prepared for us. Surprisingly, even though there are around 500 people on the trail each day, we did not encounter too many other trekkers. The second day was tougher as we climbed to 4200metres to tackle the dead woman's pass. It was a challenging but enjoyable ... read more

We have been travelling for just over a week now. Since my last update we returned to the mainland and visited a beautiful colonial town called Paraty. I really liked this town. It reminded me of Antigua in Guatemala with cobbled streets and colonial buildings but it had the advantage of being on the coast. We went out for an amazing Thai meal on the first night and though expensive, it was probably one of the best meals I have ever had- shrimps with asparagus! My favourite. The next day we went out on a "party" boat. We were fortunate to have great weather and we visited a number of beaches and could jump off the boat into the moderately warm, but crystal clear sea. Due to its party boat nature it did also involve some ... read more

Hello! Well, I´m shattered but having an amazing time. Been here nearly 2 weeks now and have done so much. There are about 33 volunteer managers here at Raleigh Costa Rica and we are all getting on really well. Most people are aged between 24-30 and all have interesting lives and stories to share. Our field base is in a beautiful area at the base of another active volcano but apparently we would not be hit if it erupted... Living is basic but we are being fed well and have WIFI so I am pretty happy! We spent the first couple of days having training on how to use radios, teamwork and other things. Then we went trekking for a few days and spent one night camping and one night in hammocks in the jungle. Of ... read more

Hello, Sorry for the delay and this being brief ... Cuba was a very interesting country to visit. I was with a fantastic group of people and made friends from Oz and NZ who I hope to keep in touch with. We started in Havana, and headed East as far as Baracoa. The history was evident everywhere and we were able to visit many historical sites from the revolution. It was interesting to be in a communist country. There was no advertising other than government propaganda. No McDonalds and no Starbucks! The supermarket shelves were fairly empty and there was not much available to purchase. Internet was scarce and slow and it was actually quite expensive to be there as a tourist. They have two currencies and the Peso that the locals use allows their minute ... read more

Hello Everyone, Feliz Navidad! Hope you have all had a great, relaxing Christmas. Last week I mostly filled my days with salsa, Spanish and yoga. At the weekend I visited Lago Atitlan. The original plan was with one other friend but we ended up a group of 5! We stayed in an Eco Hotel called Isla Verde. It was beautiful. Amazing gardens and a great view of the lake and volcanoes. We had a very relaxing weekend and enjoyed fab food at the hotel. It was so fantastic that 2 of my friends stayed to volunteer there. I am a little envious! I returned to Antigua last night. It is nice to be back though it seems very hectic after the lake. There is a new woman in the house who is American and in her ... read more